Metals Exploration Regulatory News (MTL)

3 Jan 2019

METALS EXPLORATION PLC

Metals Exploration plc (AIM: MTL) ("Metals Exploration" or the "Company"), the natural resources exploration and development company with assets in the Pacific Rim region.

Appointment of Darren Bowden as Chief Executive Officer

The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Darren Patrick Bowden (age 49) as the Company's Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Mr Bowden has 25 years' experience in mining across technical, operational and directorships covering coal mining and hard rock operations in more than seven countries. He has been involved in building mines from greenfield projects to working with and developing brownfield operations, both underground and open cast, as well as improving and sustaining existing operations.

Darren joins Metals Exploration from Colombian gold company Minesa SAS (Gold) ("Minesa"), a wholly owned company within the Mubadala Development Company. At Minesa, Darren held the position of CEO and oversaw the designing, developing and licensing of Minesa's flagship underground Soto Norte project in the Province of Santander in north-central Colombia.

Prior to Minesa, Darren held senior operational and technical positions including Board Director and Contract CEO at DuSolo Fertilizers in 2015, Vice President Operations for Nyrstar USA Inc. (Zinc), January 2014 to July 2015, and six years with Glencore at Falconbridge Dominicana SA (Nickel) and Prodeco SA Colombia where he held the positions of President and Vice President of Operations between 2007 and 2013.

The appointment of Mr Bowden follows the announcement made by the Company on 6 December 2018 that Mr Ian Holzberger intended to stand down as Executive Chairman of the Company and move to Non-Executive Chairman.

Mr. Bowden currently holds or has held the following directorships or partnerships over the last five years:

Mr Ian Holzberger, Non-Executive Chairman, commented:

"Darren is a highly skilled and experienced operator, and on behalf of the Board I am pleased to welcome him as Chief Executive Officer. Darren has worked across the globe and has been responsible for building and operating both bulk and hard rock operations from Australia to Colombia. Importantly, he also shares our core values of building safe and sustainable operations to the benefit of all stakeholders.

I will continue to remain involved in the business as a Non-Executive Chairman and look forward to working with Darren."

 Darren Bowden commented:

"I am pleased to be joining Metals Exploration during this next chapter. Runruno has the potential to be a leading low-cost gold operation and benefits from supportive shareholders and stakeholders. Clearly the focus is on ensuring Runruno can operate at its intended nameplate for a sustained period of time and I look forward to this opportunity."

Save as disclosed above, there are no further disclosures required to be made in respect of the appointment under Schedule 2(g) or Rule 17 of the AIM Rules for Companies.

For further information please visit or contact www.metalsexploration.com